Football player's road to recovery

This article was written by Aiyana Cristal for CBS46.com. To view the original article, please click here.

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46)- For Devon Gales, his life will never be the same. He suffered a life altering injury on the football field three years ago.

Gales, a former Southern University football player, sustained a serious spinal-cord injury after a collision while playing against the University of Georgia on September 26, 2015. The injury left Gales paralyzed from the waist down.

“It’s a struggle knowing what you had, to losing it and trying to regain everything back. It’s tough” said Gales.

Now, the 24-year-old spends most of his time at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

Three years after the injury, Gales has made some progress in his recovery. Now, he is focused on walking again.

Recent football injury headlines, including the Pike County High School football player becoming unresponsive during a game and the Tennessee State football player being in critical condition following a collapse during a games, have had a emotional impact on Gales.

“It kind of hit me hard because it brought back memories and the families and have to witness that, see that child pass or critical it takes a toll on me,” said Gales.